Packers use rarely seen salary cap strategy to release Jaire Alexander, and it says a lot about how they are building the roster

How it works

It's highly unusual for teams to opt for an immediate hit like the Packers are doing, and the post-June 1 trigger is not an elective alternative. That means Green Bay had to actively readjust Alexander's contract before releasing him, killing future years.

With the move, Green Bay will have $17.043 million of dead money hit this year, clearing up just $7.593 million. On the other hand, the team saves $27.018 million in 2026 and $2.005 million in 2027.

A normal post-June 1 release would mean the Packers would split the dead money ($7.518 million in 2025 and $9.525 million in 2026). The team would save $17.117 million against the cap in 2025, $17.493 million in 2026, and $2.005 million in 2027.

Now, the Packers jump to $36.532 million of cap space in 2025, which is fifth in the NFL. And next year, Green Bay is projected to have $17.059 million in cap room. Before the release, the team was $9.959 million over the projected cap.

Why it's rare

Teams seldom use this tool because, well, it generally doesn't make much sense. Had the Packers decided to split the dead money, they would have the flexibility to spend the extra cap this year, but it wouldn't have been necessary. The team could just not spend it, and rollover the unused amount to 2026 — which would effectively be the same outcome.

So with this move, the Packers are losing flexibility in 2025. There isn't any material advantage, except for making sure that the team won't spend the cap right now, and therefore will have the extra space next season.

What it means

The Packers are certainly not in win-now mode, because they basically never are. After last season, general manager Brian Gutekunst explained that the team prioritizes their process over timeframes.

"We're really process-driven around here, being in this thing every single year," Gutekunst said. "You try not to look too far down the road, more than two or three years out, but I'm not a big believer in windows."

By making sure the Packers won't overspend now to have more future flexibility, Gutekunst and cap guru Russ Ball are sending a message: They want to win consistently, but there is no hurry to do it now.